'Not Bitter! (Just Getting Even!)'
A Flintloque Background Article by Steve Blease
Whilst Wheeling-Turn pushed to take control of Urop back from the Usurper Mordred there was a war no less vicious being fought much closer to home.
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The bitter fighting of recent months in Guinalea is undoubtedly due to the political machinations of the Evil Tyrant Emperor Mordred. Indeed if it were not for the undeniable bravery and heroism of our gallant Orc redcoats in suppressing the rebellion, then mayhap these machinations doth come to fruition, the possibility that thee cancerous disease also spread amongst our gallant Joccian Highland allies (doth not forget that our allies were our enemies not fifty years since, and some doth still harbour rancour for Albion), canneth not be discounted either.
The seeds of discontent in Guinalea are confusing to many and it is possible that there be no one reason for the old enmity. Suffice it be to say that the current revolt doth raise its head out of the Turnip Tax, a regrettable but necessary way for the Army fighting the Evil Tyrant in Catalucia and Al-Garvey to be financed.
Although this Tax not be deliberately directed at our Bog-Orc cousins in Guinalea, mayhap in retrospect it was unreasonable for us to assume that our simple brethren would not see it as some form of challenge to them, given the fact that the Turnip be a much revered vegetable with the Bog- Orcs and a staple of their diet.
Turnip Tax protests in Guinalean towns soon turned to riots, and these riots despite being dealt with as is customary (a swift cavalry charge against the unarmed mob), soon spread into open revolt in some provinces.
One major rising did lead to a pitched battle between the rebellious Bog Orcs and our own gallant lads. Fools the rebels be to take on the pride of Albion armed only with pikes, spear and a few muskets. The Battle at Vindinger Hill lasted only an hour and saw the rebel army smashed, yet the insurrection doth not end with this crushing defeat.
The very stubbornness that we see in the fields of Al-Garvey as loyal Bog-Orcs such as the 27th Illskinning Foot and the 88th Connartist Rangers, whose bravery is beyond reproach, did rear its head again and though a small outnumbered militia force (after brave and fierce resistance) was defeated in open field by another rebel army, this rising was also was defeated at the Battle of Bluddimuck.
From that day forth the few remaining rebels have operated a guerrilla war, similar in type to that performed by the heroic Catalucian Elves against the Evil Tyrant. Sad then that their aims be not so noble.
Fighting under the banner of the Society of Terrible Orcs Under Tyranny, these treasonous rebels prey on small detachments of Orc Militia and often Albion Orc Officials going about their lawful duty. Their bases in the inaccessible Murphess Marshes are hard for our loyal troops to locate, the situation exacerbated by the lack of resources available to our commanders with much of our gallant army tirelessly fighting the Evil Tyrant abroad.
The influence of the Tyrant is easy to spot amongst these rebels; many citing subversive Elvish scripts to justify their wanton terror. Also one should recall the welcome given to the rebels who fled Guinalea following the defeats at Vindinger Hill and Bluddimuck by the Evil Mordred, their numbers being such that the Tyrant ordered the creation of a rebel Bog-Orc Regiment within his own army called the Legion Guinalea.
The Legion have only recently tasted action against the Dwarves of Krautia and has yet to be sent up against our sterling lads. This correspondent doth wonder the reaction that they would face from our boys in Al-Garvey should the Legion be sent there, especially should they face a loyal Bog- Orc Regiment!
It canneth only be a matter of time though that the fires of insurrection are extinguished, as surely as the Evil Tyrant must be deposed. The rebels in Guinalea have no prospect of defeating an Orc army in open field and their guerrilla war is little more than flea bites on a mighty warhound; irritating but little more.
With supplies from the Evil Tyrant being regularly intercepted, the rebels supply situation must now be becoming desperate and when the regular army returns from the successful conclusion of the expeditions to Catalucia and Al-Garvey, the death knell for these treasonous rebels will surely sound.
(Excerpted from the Illustrated Londinium Tymes Vol. 47 No. 672)
Gaming the Guinalean Rising
The fighting in Guinalea is a simple enough process with Flintloque and something worth doing if your Orc player is feeling rather superior after ripping apart another Elven Voltiguer unit in hand to hand combat.
The Albion Orc forces are pretty much covered by the normal rules. Troop types however should be restricted mainly to Militia units, with a smattering of Regulars (most of who will be Raw). No Elite units are fighting in Guinalea, the Duke of Wheeling-Turn keeping the best units of the army employed in Al-Garvey.
The Rebel forces are all Guerrilla units and are armed with a wide variety of weapons. Firearms should not arm more than 50% of a Rebel unit.
Much of the terrain the fighting will take place in will either be marshes or surrounded by them. Albion forces receive a -50% movement modifier in such areas. Guinalean troops, to reflect their familiarity with their surrounding, only receive a -25% one.
The Legion Guinalea
Given the capabilities of Bog-Orcs in hand to hand combat and their defence factor, we can see Elf commanders clamouring to have some in their force.
When painting them up they should be in a white uniform with a bright green collar, epaulets, cuffs (all outlined yellow), breast and turnbacks. The shako should of course be black with a coloured pom-pom.
Full rules and background for the Guinalean Legion can be found in Alternative Armies' Flintloque 3rd Edition rulebook 5025 War in Catalucia on page 36 - Craig, OITW Editor.
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Webmaster's Notes
This was originally published in Orcs in the Hills Issue 1, and is reprinted here with permission from the author. I have omitted two paragraphs from the original text slightly as Alternative Armies now produce a wide range of Guinalean miniatures, which they did not back in 1996. The original paragraphs detailing which miniatures could be converted are below as an historical point of interest:
"At present Alternative do not produce any Bog-Orc rebels, that said it is a very easy operation to convert some of the open handed Orcs of the Line figures and the likes of Sergeant Harpy from the boxed set."
"Unfortunately... Nope, AA don't produce any Legion troops either (yet!). Uniform wise they should be in an identical one to that worn by the Elf Voltiguers, however if you can't wait, as a stop gap measure we'd suggest getting some Orcs of the Line and using Milliput build up the shakos to something similar to the Elves (ignore the plumes if you want, but make sure you put a pom-pom on the top in its place)."
It was first published on Orcs in the Webbe on the 6th December 2007 as part the 2007 Advent Calendar. It was absent for several years due to a prior regeneration of the website not transferring everything over correctly, the wrong has now been righted and it returned on the 5th November 2014 as part of Orcs in the Webbe's ongoing Flintloque Archive Project.
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